WALZ, ELLISON OBTAIN RETROACTIVE BENEFITS FOR 1/34th SOLDIERS WRONGLY DENIED PAYMENTS

"U.S. House"

08/21/2008

(Washington, D.C.) – Today, Congressman Tim Walz and Congressman Keith Ellison announced that the Department of Veterans Affairs has agreed to their request to provide full educational benefits to nearly 400 soldiers from the 1/34th Brigade Combat Team who had previously been denied the payments they had earned.

On July 28, 2008, Reps. Walz and Ellison spearheaded a letter from the Minnesota Congressional Delegation to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, requesting that he act quickly to ensure that the 1/34th members received their benefits. Secretary Peake announced VA’s decision to award those benefits in a letter of August 11, 2008. The National Guard estimates that this decision will affect approximately 367 veterans nationally.

“These brave soldiers fought for us in Iraq and since returning home, we’ve had to fight every step of the way to get them the benefits they’ve earned,” said Walz. “Recently the Minnesota National Guard informed us that nearly 400 soldiers who had enrolled in school last year had not received the educational benefits they were promised. I’m pleased that this problem has been corrected and our soldiers will receive the retroactive educational benefits they are owed. Administrative glitches and paperwork delays should not cause our soldiers to be shortchanged. I am glad that we were able to work with Secretary Peake to resolve this issue quickly. ”

“I am grateful that Secretary of Veterans Affairs, James Peake, expeditiously granted relief to each Member of the National Guard affected by this situation” said Congressman Ellison. He continued, “The men and women who served in Iraq during the 'troop surge' continued to perform their duties without hesitation. America owes these brave young men and women every benefit they have earned without equal hesitation. Members of the Minnesota National Guard have interrupted their lives to serve in America’s military and spent a long period of time away from their families and friends. It would be a shame for them to have to postpone their education and careers due to government error.” Secretary Peake informed Congressman Ellison that he will work with the National Guard to notify each the soldiers affected by this situation.”

After the 1/34th BCT deployed to Iraq in the spring for 2006, their anticipated return in the spring of 2007 was delayed for several months. However, nearly 400 of these soldiers were not eligible to receive their full education benefits because their military paperwork did not accurately reflect their full length of service overseas. Congressman Walz and Congressman Ellison were instrumental in helping address this initial problem, and the Board for Correction of Military Records (BCMR) ultimately amended the soldiers’ orders to reflect their full service.

Many members of the unit enrolled in colleges or universities upon their return and began attending classes in the fall semester of 2007 while their applications before the BCMR were pending. These soldiers applied to participate in the so-called “Plus Up” program, which provides for increased education benefits. However, these soldiers did not receive their Plus Up benefits while their applications were pending, and they were denied retroactive payment even after their paperwork was properly amended.

Walz and Ellison said that the VA Secretary’s decision to award these soldiers the benefits they were entitled to is the right one, given that the Secretary acknowledged the original denial was due to an error made by the federal government.

Copies of the Minnesota Delegation letter to Peake and Peake’s response to the delegation are attached.